Scotts Valley Times: July 2020 by Times Publishing Group, Inc.

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July 2020 • Vol 23 No. 7

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SV Parade Goes Virtual

No to Aviza Zone Change

By Jondi Gumz

n June 17, the Scotts Valley City Council said no to a request to change the land-use designation for the 43-acre Aviza Superfund site from industrial to residential. The decision, which came at 11:30 p.m. after guest appearances by U.S. Environmental Protection agency officials and three-and-a-half hours of review and discussion, was unanimous.

The meeting took place on Zoom because of COVID-19 restrictions. Architect Sal Caruso, representing developers Joe Appenrodt of Aptos and Jeff Major of Capitola, pitched the change as one that would give the community up to 84 much-needed homes, set aside 22.5 acres of Sandhills habitat for endangered plants and insects, provide the financially strapped city, ... continues on page 4

Fourth of July activities around the county have been restricted due to COVID-19, but the legendary Scotts Valley Parade will go on — it will go online! This year, the City of Scotts Valley is producing a “virtual” 4th of July Parade for all to enjoy! We’re even going to bring back the flyover! Full Story page 5

A Movement in Scotts Valley

Four young people with signs stood at the intersection of Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive on the afternoon of June 19; raising awareness of Black Lives Matter in a community that, at the last census, was 86 percent white ... Full Story page 8

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No. 7

Volume 23

Table of Contents

Cover No to Aviza Zone Change, By Jondi Gumz

Community News Scotts Valley Parade Goes Virtual: Flyover Will Still Happen; Look To The Skies From 2-3 p.m. Cowell Beach Water Quality Improves Salons Back in Business, By Jondi Gumz A Movement in Scotts Valley, By Jondi Gumz SLV Graduates Receive Democratic Ideals Award Scotts Valley/SLV Meal and Food Programs: July Memorial Tree Targeted, By Tony Tomeo County Announces 19 Furlough Days • Affordable Townhome Available • Glenwood Trails Open • Jobs in Santa Cruz County • Scotts Valley Postpones Business License Deadline Bullseye Archery Bounces Back, By Jondi Gumz Survey: Most SLV Water District Customers Satisfied

6 7 8 9 15 16 17

18 20

Business Profile 10 Scotts Valley Property Management LLC, By June Smith 12 Scotts Valley Water District: Q & A With Piret Harmon About How COVID-19 Has, and Is, Affecting Business, By Erin K. Allshouse Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce • Page 11–14 11 Happy 4th of July!: Exhale. Day Spa Opens with a Bang! • Scotts Valley Rotary Celebrates 45th Anniversary, By Cindy Schuette, President Rotary Club of Scotts Valley 12 Scotts Valley Water District: Q & A With Piret Harmon About How COVID-19 Has, and Is, Affecting Business, By Erin K. Allshouse 13 Retire Right: Hosted by Cheryl Rebottaro Edward Jones Financial Advisor • Santa Cruz County COVID-19 Supplies 14 Relieving Stress Caused By Sheltering In Place

Monthly Horoscope • Page 26 – Your November Horoscope Community Calendar • Arts & Entertainment – Pages 28, 29

19 21 22

Featured Columnists Courage, Truth & Love in a Cancel Culture, By Pastor Matt Valencia Open Communication and Community Policing, By Randy Johnson Despite Tragic Losses, We Must Carry On, By Bruce McPherson, Fifth District Supervisor 23 Bronze Is The New Green, By Tony Tomeo

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COVER STORY publisher

Patrice Edwards

editor

Jondi Gumz

contributing writers Camisa Composti, Jondi Gumz, Tony Tomeo, June Smith, Cindy Schuette, Cheryl Rebottaro, Erin K. Allshouse, Matt Valencia, Randy Johnson, Bruce McPherson, Tony Tomeo layout Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson graphic artists Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson photography Michael Oppenheimer, Jim Johnson, Brad King website Michael Oppenheimer, Camisa Composti production coordinator Camisa Composti advertising sales Don Beaumont, Teri Huckobey Cathe Race

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Times Publishing Group, Inc. 9601 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA 95003 The Times Publishing Group, Inc., publishers of the Aptos Times, a bi-monthly publication, the Capitola Times and Scotts Valley Times, each printed monthly, Coastal Weddings Magazine, Coastal Home and Garden Magazine, Aptos’ Fourth of July Parade Official Program Guide and Capitola’s Begonia Festival Official Program Guide, is owned by Patrice Edwards. Entire contents ©2020. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without the publisher’s written permission

“No Zone Change”, from page 1 with $2 million, eliminate what has been the biggest water user in Scotts Valley, and clean the soil covered by concrete slabs — soil contaminated by trichloroethylene, which has been linked to Parkinson’s and shown to cause non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — to residential standards, which are higher than industrial standards. The developers also offered to make 15 percent of the homes affordable to people with moderate income — which is not required by the city at this location. The traffic analysis, comparing 84 homes and 168 cars with 50 percent occupancy of the 213,000 square feet of industrial space, concluded the impacts could be mitigated except for an unavoidable five-second delay at the Mount Hermon/ La Madrona Road/ Highway 17 intersection. Usually developers submit a proposal specifically for the property but in this case, the developers wanted the certainty of changes to the zoning and general plan to come first, and that was a big stumbling block. Reed’s Concerns e’re being asked to change the zoning without a project,” said Councilman Jim Reed. “It feels like we have the cart before the horse.” He felt the same way about the cleanup. The developers hadn’t proposed any specific remedies because that would come later — EPA officials said they would seek community input and it would take four to four years for them to determine the remedy. Appenrodt bought the property in 2013, after two big industrial operators left: Watkins-Johnson, which at the peak had two or three shifts employing 800

PHONE: (831) 688-7549 FAX: (831) 688-7551 GENERAL E-MAIL: info@cyber-times.com Patrice Edwards: patrice@cyber-times.com Publisher’s Assistant: assistant@cyber-times.com Editor: info@cyber-times.com Calendar Listings: www.tpgonlinedaily.com Graphics Department: graphics@cyber-times.com Billing Inquiries: cathe@cyber-times.com Classified Sales: sales@cyber-times.com Production: production@cyber-times.com CHECK OUT OUR WEB SITE AT: www.tpgonlinedaily.com mission statement We at the Times Publishing Group, Inc. are dedicated to providing a voice for the individuals and organizations in our community while highlighting the outstanding accomplishments of our local businesses. We seek to promote healthy family values through our coverage of youth activities, school news, senior events, community groups and entertainment 4 / July 2020 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

people and the owner when the chemical spill occurred, followed by Aviza, which was bought up by a Japanese company. Once California’s housing shortage led to record prices, State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, took up the cause pushing bills to force localities statewide to allow apartment complexes up to 85 feet tall — 10 stories, according to Reed — near transit centers. That was blocked. Then he proposed midrise apartments by public transit, but couldn’t get the votes. His latest proposal is to eliminate single-family zoning statewide. A 2019 law, designed to encourage more housing, prohibits cities from changing properties designated for housing back to industrial, which would mean Scotts Valley would have to say no if the residential development did not come to fruition and a new business offering jobs wanted to relocate there. “The approach these bills take is so heavy-handed,” Reed said. “The only defense we have… is to not make the decision to rezone.” Safety was another concern for him. “You need to have more than one way out,” he said. As for the $2 million the developers offered — and Caruso offered Wednesday to add donations to Scotts

Valley High School Falcon Club and the city’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration — Reed said it was not a significant factor. “No amount of money would justify a bad land-use decision,” he said. Councilman Jack Dilles cited uncertainty about what would be proposed. “A lot of unknowns,” he said. “If I could see the project, I might go there… I encourage the developer to come back with an actual project.” Councilwoman Donna Lind said, “My concern has been not having a development plan — no cleanup plan.” Councilman Derek Timm counted up the 27 speakers as evenly split but he could see the developers didn’t have three votes on their side. EPA Questions imm had asked Brian Milton, a remedial project manager with EPA: “Would you want the cap to remain or would you want it cleaned up to a higher standard?” Milton responded, “That’s a difficult question... It’s not our decision to make. It’s up to the local jurisdiction…I don’t know what the remedy is, it hasn’t been submitted. It’s difficult for me to say which is the bigger risk without knowing what they are proposing.”

“Aviza” page 6

COMMUNITY NEWS

Scotts Valley Parade Goes Virtual

Flyover Will Still Happen; Look To The Skies From 2-3 p.m.

ourth of July activities around the county have been restricted due to COVID-19, but the legendary Scotts Valley Parade will go on — it will go online! This year, the City of Scotts Valley is producing a “virtual” 4th of July Parade for all to enjoy! We’re even going to bring back the flyover! The parade will be made of clips provided by the community, and councilmember Donna Lind & Scotts Valley Advocates invited everyone to participate! • Local businesses • Families • Vintage Cars & Hot Rods • Scotts Valley’s Fire & Police Departments • Scotts Valley Schools • Banks, Credit Unions, Healthcare Workers • Horse Clubs, Horse Owners & Riders • Scotts Valley High School Drama students • Sports Teams, Service Clubs, NonProfit Organizations Performance vocal instructor Bobbie Ward is working with local music students to perform for the video, including the

singing of the national anthem to kickoff the beginning of the virtual parade. The virtual parade video will be put up online at 10 a.m. on the following Facebook pages: City of Scotts Valley 4th of July, Scotts Valley Chamber and My Scotts Valley for everyone to enjoy the entire month of July! There will also be a live flyover for the city, so step outside between 2 and 3 p.m. to enjoy it. n The video will be archived on the Scotts Valley 4th of July Facebook Page.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Cowell Beach Water Quality Improves F or the first time in 10 years, iconic Cowell Beach in Santa Cruz is off Heal the Bay’s “Beach Bummer” list, due to efforts to improve water quality by keeping pigeons and gulls from roosting and defecating under the Municipal Wharf. “Many thanks to our determined City staff and Cowell’s Working Group for the bird exclusion measures under the Wharf and other efforts that led to this tremendous breakthrough,” said Mayor Justin Cummings. Cowell’s Working Group, launched in 2014 at the direction of the Santa Cruz City Council, includes representatives from the City, Santa Cruz County, Save The Waves Coalition, Sierra Club and Surfrider Foundation. In 2017, after the first steps were taken to ward off roosting birds, the number of poor water quality samples dropped by more than half, according to Nik StrongCvetich, Save the Waves executive director and facilitator of Cowell’s Working Group.

“Aviza” from page 4 Mayor Randy Johnson questioned a resident’s description of the $2 million as a “bribe,” saying the money could be used for roadwork or to benefit kids. To those raising traffic concerns, he said the fear of gridlock around the new 1440 Multiversity complex never came to pass. But he too advised the developers to come up with something tangible. “A project like this brought under the regular protocol would have a better chance,” he said. Timm suggested certifying the environmental impact report, a 450-page document by Kimley-Horn & Associates evaluating the impacts. Resident Input: Neighbors Were Split e are in strong support of the zoning change,” said Carolee Curtis, president of Montevalle, a 55-and-up mobile-home community on 14 acres adjacent to the industrial property. Evan Siroky, who lives at the Hidden Oaks complex on Mount Hermon Road, wanted to see even more housing than the developers proposed. He said he had seen a Superfund site in Ruston, Washington, where a giant smelter operated, cleaned up for waterfront condos and a farmers market. Ryan Fontana, a 2007 Scotts Valley High graduate who is co-owner of

Next, screening was installed under the Wharf to deter nesting. The city also installed sliding gates to keep bacteriainfested water at Neary Lagoon from flowing through a storm outlet vault onto Cowell Beach during the summer and placed a steel plate at the Neary outfall pipe below sea level to divert bacterialaden water to the wastewater treatment plant. Cleaning of the Cowell Beach vault and Neary Lagoon outlet helped. Water quality is measured by the City of Santa Cruz Environmental Laboratory and Santa Cruz County Environmental Health Department. n

Malone’s Grille, also spoke in favor, saying he was thinking about the future. Barbara Neill, Thira Wallwork and Corey Ward, parents who live on Green Valley Road, voiced health concerns. Neill said her son was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years ago. “Several people in this neighborhood have all come down with Parkinson’s,” she said, asking residents to email her at scottsvalleybarb@gmail.com. Wallwork, who has four sons, said she was concerned about toxins. “This is scary for me, the only superfund site in the county and you want to build on it,” said Corey Ward, a father of two. “I’m all for more housing, this is the worst place to do it,” Jennifer Wade and Elizabeth Anderson, moms who live in Skypark, voiced concerns about digging up contaminated soil. “How can you guarantee no harm?” Wade asked. “This is a huge, huge risk.” On June 24, the council voted to deny the changes “without prejudice,” which allows the developers to reapply in less than a year. “It’s good they’re still discussing it,” Lind said. “The cleanup is something the community wants to hear about.” n ••• www.scottsvalley.org/AgendaCenter/ ViewFile/Agenda/_06172020-527 (Color map on page 142)

COMMUNITY NEWS

Salons Back in Business

By Jondi Gumz

ue Carlson, owner and stylist at Classic Hair in Scotts Valley, was ready to reopen the moment hair salons and barbershops in Santa Cruz County got the green light from the state to reopen May 30 after being closed since March 16 to slow the spread of contagious COVID-19. “I got a text at 9:30 a.m. on a Saturday,” she said. She reopened that day, and her salon, which has 10 stylists, has been busy ever since. “We’re excited to be open,” said Carlson, who’s been in business since 1990 and never experienced a shutdown of this nature. What people don’t realize, she said, is that it took “months and months” of effort, sending emails, writing letters, meetings via Zoom with Santa Cruz County Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel. “It was very stressful,” Carlson said. Carlson said she advocated for all salons to reopen after she realized salons and barbershops were not on the county’s list of businesses to reopen next. She thanked Mayor Randy Johnson, Vice Mayor Derek Timm and City Council member Donna Lind for submitting a plan to allow salons to reopen. When county supervisors agreed to ask the state for a variance allowing more businesses to reopen, the request prepared by Dr. Newel included hair salons, barbershops and dine-in service at restaurants. Of course, salons that reopen must abide by a long list of new safety protocols, such as sanitizing and staff and patrons wearing a mask. A Great Clips salon in Springfield, Missouri, made headlines after two stylists wearing masks saw 140 customers

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz

At Mr. D’s Barber Shop in Scotts Valley, Quynh Nguyen gives Tyson Durm of Felton a trim.

over nine days before testing positive for COVID-19. Great Clips required customers to wear masks, too, but health officials feared an outbreak. They tracked down customers using Great Clips’ online reservation system and offered them free testing. Only 46 agreed to be tested, but all the tests were negative, prompting the local health department director, who had been a skeptic, to embrace wearing a face mask when in public. A third of the training to become a stylist is sanitation, observed Steve Horlock, Classic Hair’s sole male stylist. When Carlson designed her 2,000-square-foot salon on Scotts Valley Drive, she put the chairs for each stylist six feet apart. “I wanted space,” she said. That decision looks smart now that the COVID-19 physical distancing rules require people in the salon to stay six apart.

“Salons” page 9

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz

Sue Carlson, owner of Classic Hair in Scotts Valley, reopened her salon the day the state gave the okay.

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Scotts Valley Times / Scotts Valley 2020 / 7

COMMUNITY NEWS

A Movement in Scotts Valley

By Jondi Gumz

our young people with signs stood the Black Lives Matter march June 10 at the intersection of Mount Hermon involving an estimated 300 people. Road and Scotts Valley Drive on the At the rally that followed at MacDorsa afternoon of June 19; raising awareness of Park, Brandon Smith, co-founder of Brandon Black Lives Matter in a community that, Smith Audio Design after earning two degrees at Stanford at the last census, and working as was 86 percent At the rally that followed a product design white with about 100 at MacDorsa Park, Brandon engineer at Apple, African-American Smith, co-founder of Brandon spoke for nearly 30 residents. minutes about what it Sasha Nijor, Smith Audio Design after feels like to be a black 21, who grew up in earning two degrees at man in America. Scotts Valley and is Stanford and working as a He said he a student at UCLA, product design engineer at had been treated had the idea to take Apple, spoke for nearly 30 unjustly by police in to the street with her Mountain View and friend and fellow minutes about what it feels his wife assumed Scotts Valley High like to be a black man in to be a housekeeper alum Dallas Ross. America. because of the color “We’re out to of their skin. remind people it’s Smith’s speech is recorded on the a movement,” Nijor said, holding a sign filled with names of black people killed by My Scotts Valley Facebook page. Sasha Nijor was joined by Amar police in America such as George Floyd. Nijor said she was inspired by her and Varija Nijor, her brother and sisterfriend Jenny Johnson, co-organizer of in-law visiting from San Diego.

8 / July 2020 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Brandon Smith gives an emotional speech during a Black Lives Matter rally at MacDorsa Park on June 10. Varija Nijor, 27, said raising awareness of Black Lives Matter is important work. She recommended “starting the conversation in your neighborhood.” Amar Nijor, 28, a graduate of Scotts Valley High, said he was nervous at first to join his sister, but he could see and hear the support. “There’s more good than bad, based on the honks,” he said. The conversation has started at the city policy level. “I was proud to participate in that

march,” City Councilman Jim Reed said at the June 17 council meeting. Scotts Valley is “ahead of the curve in (police) de-escalation,” he said. “We can always do better.” He said the police chief and the mayor are taking a look at the city policies. Mayor Randy Johnson said, “I’m thankful we were able to listen and observe — a conversation that was overdue.” To view Brandon Smith’s speech, visit: www.facebook.com/MyScottsValley/ posts/2995391917219559 n

Dallas Ross (from left), Sasha Nijor, Amar Nijor and Varija Nijor get their message out.

COMMUNITY NEWS

SLV Graduates Receive Dem. Ideals Award

he Democratic Club of North Santa Cruz County presented San Lorenzo Valley High School graduates Calyssa Solberg and Lukas Hager with the Democratic Ideals Award for Outstanding Youth. The award recognizes students for civic-mindedness, engagement and future civic aspirations. Each student receives $500 cash. Calyssa has a deep concern for inclusion and equity and a commitment to fostering engagement and collaboration amongst her peers as she works to address societal issues. Her goal is to delivering truthful news as a journalist. Lukas developed a passion for public speaking after several years of speech therapy. He focuses on speaking up against injustice and speaking truth to power. He served on Rep. Anna Eshoo’s student advisory board. His goals include studying economics with a view to understanding the real-world effects of government policies, and participating in college student government and an Urban Living Club.

“Salons” from page 7 Not all salons have reopened, and Carlson said small salons operating in 500 square feet may not have enough space. She said customers are coming from over the hill because salons in Santa Clara County are not allowed to reopen yet. “It’s not an easy time,” she said. “You need to have grace.” Mr D’s Barber Shop, on Mount Hermon Road, reopened June 1. “We couldn’t be happier,” said Quynh Nguyen, clippers in hand. On Tuesday, she gave Tyson Durm, a customer from Felton, a much-needed trim. “My wife had to cut my hair with a dull scissors,” said Durm. COVID-19 Cases Jump As of Wednesday, Santa Cruz County reported 399 confirmed cases, 17,127 negative test results, and three deaths, the latest being a 90-year-old man in hospice in mid-June. Twenty-three cases were confirmed June 29, up from 21 on June 22 and the most new cases since the pandemic arrived. Nineteen new cases were confirmed June 30. County spokesman Jason Hoppin attributed the big number to catching up on a weekend backlog.

Calyssa Solberg Lukas Hager Calyssa and Lukas will receive recognition certificates from Fifth District Supervisor Bruce McPherson, State Assemblymember Mark Stone, and State Sen. Bill Monning. Congresswoman Eshoo will recognize their civic contributions by giving each student an American flag that has flown over the U.S. Capitol in their honor. Each year, the Democratic club awards this scholarship to two graduating seniors from local high schools. n Of the total cases, 10 are in Scotts Valley, 20 in Capitola, 76 in Santa Cruz, 80 in unincorporated areas, 205 in Watsonville, with eight under investigation. Of the 146 active cases, 16 are hospitalized, 10 confirmed (including one in intensive care) and six suspected cases. Active cases mean health staff inquire who you’ve been in contact with, as in the Missouri case, and offer free testing. People 65 and older are more likely to have complications from COVID-19 because they are more likely to have conditions such as heart or lunch disease or diabetes. A third of the Santa Cruz County cases –130 – are among millennials age 18 to 34, which Newel, the health officer, said is a trend across California and the nation. She worries young people may put older household members and community members at risk. Newel opened county beaches as of June 26, eliminating daytime restrictions, saying it was impossible for law enforcement to enforce the daytime closure. She said the shelter-in-place order is likely to be lifted after July 6. On June 18, Gov. Newsom ordered face coverings be worn while in public, and face coverings are now required for children age 2 to 12 who were exempted before. n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Scotts Valley Times / Scotts Valley 2020 / 9

BUSINESS PROFILE

Scotts Valley Property Management LLC

By June Smith

cotts Valley Property Management LLC is a family-owned and operated business serving homeowners and renters throughout Santa Cruz County. Since 1981 Jeanne Jensen Shada and staff have managed and sold residential real estate including apartments, homes, condos as well as several commercial buildings. Of utmost importance is their ongoing policy of kindness, in practice during this difficult period of the Covid-19 epidemic. If tenants or owners have questions or problems, the staff listens and responds. When renters are not able to pay their rent, a repayment plan will be worked out. Like other companies, they have had to come up with manageable strategies to keep the business flourishing. Masks are required by everyone. Although very few people go into their office at this time, hand sanitizer is provided and they clean all surfaces regularly. Supplies come from Safeway or Scarborough Lumber. Social distancing is difficult but manageable. Shada meets with clients outside of the office and they also communicate by email, text, and phone. Because of the close environment in the small office, property manager Terra Brooks works from home. She finds that because there are fewer distractions and business can be discussed via conference call, it works very well. With more people staying home, there are more than the usual amount of repairs, so they prioritize as to which jobs will be handled on an emergency basis.

Jeanne Jensen Shada

Other strategies include electronic signing for property management agreements, addenda and leases. Virtual tours of rentals are available, and physical showings are conducted for strong potential renters. All sanitizing protocols are followed for physical showings.

10 / July 2020 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

About 2 percent of the renters have payment plans, and the remainder of clients pay in full. There wasn’t a big difference after the $1,200 stimulus checks were received. “We have not been charging late fees or evicted anyone, and employees have not lost any hours,” Shada said. “We believe people have been struggling, so there is no plan for rent increases in the immediate future. We don’t want to increase the burden on them. It is hard to predict when things will be ‘normal’ again. I think we have learned a lot from this pandemic and believe those of us who have followed recommendations from the governor and local officials will be able to adjust best in the future. I hope that there will be a steady dropoff of people getting sick, as this has been a horrible illness affecting entire families.” From 1977 to 1995, Shada taught grades 2–8 in the Scotts Valley School District, teaching a variety of subjects including Home Economics and English. At her husband’s suggestion, she got her real estate license and performed both jobs

part-time before retiring to go full-time into property management. She finds both jobs require similar skill sets, people skills and management skills. In teaching, skills are needed for managing students, parents, and administrators while in property management those same skills are needed in dealing with owners, tenants, updates, and restrictions. For both, there is an ongoing need for learning and adapting to change. Shada says two of her adult children are teachers, and it has been very difficult for them as well as for their students. Her young grandchildren are 2, 4, 9, and 11 years old and it has been hard for them, as well as for the children of her tenants. She has enjoyed staying at home and feeling closer to her family as they experience the pandemic together; a time as one who experiences the pandemic now will always remember it. n ••• Scotts Valley Property Management LLC Phone: (831) 438-2208 • Fax: (831) 4383206 • 24 Hour Maintenance Emergencies: (831) 246-2868 • Physical & mailing address: 4615-B Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley CA 95066

Happy 4th of July!

Exhale. Day Spa Opens with a Bang!

ver the past many weeks while the spa was in SIP, or as the staff at Exhale. likes to think of it as Spa in Place, there was certainly no grass growing under the feet of the Owner, Kim Pursley. For those of you who may know her sunny disposition, even on the cloudiest of days, she brings a brightness to our community. As Kim prepared for the Re-Opening of Exhale. her thoughts of how she could help our community get through these uncertain times was her inspiration for new treatments and Spa in Place home care packages. Over the weeks that the spa was closed Kim worked closely with our high-risk senior community and others by sending Spa in Place care packages to help lift their spirits. This inspired an ongoing program that she will continue to offer to those who want to send a pick-me-up Spa in Place package to a friend or one for yourself to enjoy at home. Re-Opening feels like a perfect time to celebrate and what’s a celebration without some kind of party — even

better how about a SPA PARTY? With all COVID regulations in place of course. FarmHouse Fresh Happy Hour treatments are back! FarmHouse Fresh is an all-natural body care line that supports USA farmers, including California grown Bartlett Pears. These treatments smell and feel as good as some of their product names sound. Take summer to whole new level with treatments that include products like Watermelon Basil Vodkatini Body Scrub, or Brandy Pear Smooth body scrub with a spectacular fruity kick! This decadent cocktail body polish is brimming with mouthwatering pear-infused brandy from Bartlett pears grown in California. Exhale. continues to create signature relaxation and beauty enhancement treatments including HydraFacial The deluxe treatments are a 90 min session including Express Facials for all skin care needs. If you have not our signature relaxation techniques. Exhale. is now experienced a HydraFacial it’s time the results are truly offering and express HydraFacial for those on a time amazing. Using a series of Med-Spa grade serums and the restraint. patent HydraFacial vortex wand your skin will feel the “Exhale.” page 14 benefits for weeks.

Scotts Valley Rotary Celebrates 45th Anniversary

By Cindy Schuette, President Rotary Club of Scotts Valley

he Pandemic that we are all challenged with has not stopped the Rotary Club of Scotts Valley from serving our community. Until groups can meet in person, Rotarians are meeting via ZOOM. Members, former members and other friends as far away as Puerto Rico connected via a ZOOM meeting recently to celebrate their 45th Anniversary. The club was started in 1975 by a group of 20 Scotts Valley leaders. Bob Pagett, Founder of Assist Inter-

national, a non-profit humanitarian organization and active member of the club for 45 years, was honored along with his lovely wife, Char. They were pleasantly surprised during a scheduled club program on Assist International given by Michelle & Ralph Sudfeld, their daughter and sonin-law who are co-Presidents of Assist International. Also honored was Jun Lee, former Mayor of Scotts Valley and an honorary member who was not able to attend due to illness.

Happy 4th of July!

Throughout the years these charter members were joined by other community leaders who put ‘Service above Self’, the motto of Rotary. Rotary inducted 2 new members via ZOOM. Assemblyman Mark Stone returned as an active member. Although his work at the State legislature keeps him busy, he continues to support the goals of Rotary and service to our community. Scotts Valley Fire Chief Steve Kovacs, a former Rotarian before he moved to Scotts Valley, joined Scotts Valley

Rotary to also give back to the community through Rotary service. Scotts Valley Rotarians presented 42 outstanding student awards for Jr. High through High School and 11 college scholarships to graduating seniors. Our club could not honor them in person at our annual Student Awards banquet held for over 20 years but heard from all our scholarship winners via our ZOOM meeting. “Rotary” page 14

Call the Chamber Today or Visit www.scottsvalleychamber.com

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Scotts Valley Chamber News

Scotts Valley Water District

Q & A With Piret Harmon About How COVID-19 Has, and Is, Affecting Business By Erin K. Allshouse The Scotts Valley Water District is an essential business, so it hasn’t shut down through the COVID-19 pandemic, but commercial water use declined by 40 percent during Shelter In Place. How does that affect the operating budget? ommercial sector makes up a relatively small portion of our customer base. We are projecting a $140,000 revenue loss in this year (FY 2020, ending 6/30) and approximately $330,000 in the next fiscal year. The District has rate stabilization reserves that we typically tap in case of revenue shortfall during droughts. These reserves will be used to balance our budget. Have you had to cut hours for employees? Layoffs? he District has not had to cut hours or reduce the workforce. How many customers are having trouble paying their bills? Is that an issue? e have seen a little uptick in delinquencies but not certain how much of this is contributed to the economic hardship related to Covid-19. It might be partially due to the fact that a good measure of customers rely on past due notices to pay their bills and because we temporarily suspended late fees and service disconnects, they are not receiving their usual “signal”. The District has a Rate Assistance Program that is available to eligible customers and we are also offering payment

plans. Only less than 20 customers are currently utilizing these offerings. Are some employees working from home for their own safety? o employees are working from home — the type of work that most of us do, does not lend itself very well for conducting it remotely. The customer service lobby has been closed since mid-March and the District offers many online services. We have strict and thorough processes to ensure the health and safety of employees and customers Did you put projects on hold until revenue rebounds? he “life cycle” of a typical water infrastructure project is quite long and it is impractical and often impossible to deploy stop-restart tactics. The District uses strategic planning tools and 5-year capital projects cycle that relies on pay-go funding (from current year revenue) as well as repair & replacement reserves and debt issuance when appropriate. Any idea when revenue will rebound? e anticipate some impacts to last through next fiscal year (July 2020 – June 2021). Although this global health and economic crises was totally unpredicted, California water agencies are accustomed and therefore somewhat prepared to frequent variability of the climate conditions that is always accompanied by demand fluctuations and revenue variability.

12 / July 2020 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

What changes have you made due to COVID-19? e temporarily suspended activities requiring direct customer contact and will implement appropriate protective measures when reactivate them. The District swiftly transitioned all meeting, including Board meetings, to virtual format and is planning to continue with digital Board meetings after the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. Internally, we have set in place detailed procedures to ensure the health and safety of employees. How do you comply with the social distancing requirement for customers in your office? he office lobby has been closed since mid-March. We are planning to open it on July 6 and are making sure that all relevant and necessary safety measures are in place: 6ft distance, masks, hand sanitizer etc. Have visits to the office dropped? aving the in-person service temporarily suspended has allowed the District to promote the online services and solutions: start/stop service, bill payment, rebate application and usage tracking. SV Water is using software from a 2009 SF startup with $13 million called WaterSmart Software to help customers understand and manage their water use. Why this software? aterSmart customer engagement portal is only one (the last) component of a complex system and enables the customers to view, manage and understand their water use. The District evaluated several vendors and choose WaterSmart as the best fit considering the

features, functionality, ease of use, and administrative structure. The main elements of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) are Orion Cellular LTE endpoints that are connected to the water meter in the existing meter boxes, capture readings and communicate with the encoder. Did you consider the 2015 Santa Cruz startup Buoy Labs to help people manage household water use? uoy Labs offers a stand-alone add-on solution for those people who want to understand their indoor water use on more granular level. It requires installing an additional meter and connecting it to the local wifi network. It is more costly and from a water system perspective offers less value to the District. What’s the expected payback with WaterSmart? Months/years for the cost of software to start generating savings? When might there be enough data to say how well it is working? s mentioned earlier, WaterSmart is only the last layer of enabling the customers to manage their water use. The foundational component (i-Meter network) is much larger investment than the customer engagement portal that costs about $2.50 per customer per year. It has already paid off by allowing the District and the customers to detect leaks much quicker (within 24 hrs vs 60 days). In fiscal year 2019 the total amount of water lost through leaks tracked by Leak Adjustment Program was 7 million gallons. In fiscal year 2020, the same number is projected to be about half of that or 3.5 million gallons.

Scotts Valley Chamber News

Retire Right

Hosted by Cheryl Rebottaro Edward Jones Financial Advisor

etirement is something we all dream about, but without proper planning it can turn into a nightmare. Planning your finances for retirement is a critical first step, but oftentimes that is where the planning stops. What will your retirement look like? How? Where? When? There are many aspects of your life that will change with retirement. In this 90-minute workshop, we will provide you with some key insights on what aspects of your life you should be focused on, and what you

advisor with Edward Jones-presenting “Retirement: Making Your Money Last” and Suzie Golden-Riley Executive Coach ••• Suzie Golden-Riley, MBA, is an executive coach with 9 years of experience in coaching leadership development, and more than 25 years of experience in healthcare administration. Cheryl Rebottaro, AAMS®, CRPC®, has worked as our financial advisor in our community for more than 16 years, and you may have seen her perform with various local bands for that past two decades.

Santa Cruz County COVID-19 Supplies

s Santa Cruz County businesses have been opening up, and working hard to do so safely, we see locally and nationally a lack of understanding from some members of the public about the importance of complying with the basic health directives, namely wearing a mask and social distancing. Given our status as a tourism destination this issue has an added level of urgency. Visit Santa Cruz County is working with Chambers of Commerce and other business associations around the County to provide materials for posting to communicate best practices

with customers in a friendly and clear manner. Some communities around California and the Country are approaching the public information effort by incorporating a Safety Pledge to “protect

ourselves and others”. After discussing this concept with various businesses and associations around the county we are moving forward with a focus on two behaviors, wearing a mask and social distancing.

Cheryl D Rebottaro, AAMS®, CRPC® Financial Advisor

MKT-9811B-A

Saturday July 11, 2020 on Zoom Register in advance for this webinar: https://edwardjones.zoom.us/ webinar/register/ WN_9azoeHN6SKiH Suzie Golden-Riley KvYHWKs1GQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar Facilitators: Cheryl Rebottaro financial

can and should do now-financially and logistically-to make sure you retire right and set yourself up for the retirement you have been dreaming of. What matters most to you? Cheryl Rebottaro What type of lifestyle do you want in retirement? Once you can picture your retirement, you’ll need a strategy to help make it happen.

Interested businesses are being provided with flyers and posters that can be used by any agency or storefront business countywide. Flyers encourage everyone to “Take the Pledge” to protect others and themselves. Printable versions of the flyers are available online at Visit Santa Cruz County’s website: https:// w w w. s a n t a c r u z . o r g / p a r t n e r s / covid-19-resources/. Additionally, the Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley Chambers of Commerce will be helping to distribute materials to local businesses. Let’s Cruz Again Safely!

edwardjones.com

Member SIPC

221 Mount Hermon Rd Suite F Scotts Valley, CA 95066-4038 831-461-9311

MKT-9811B-A

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Scotts Valley Times / Scotts Valley 2020 / 13

Scotts Valley Chamber News

Relieving Stress Caused By Sheltering In Place A t Empowering Hands, they have always held the health and wellbeing of our community, clients and team members as a top priority. To continue keeping everyone healthy and thriving, their re-opening precautions closely follow the recommendations of the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) along with OSHA and the CDC. This includes but not limited to properly sanitizing all equipment used in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rotaryâ&#x20AC;? from page 11 The students shared their hopes and gratitude and were positive even though their last few months of high school presented many challenges. The club, with the help of generous

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Exhale.â&#x20AC;? from page 11 These treatments are great for all ages, completely non-evasive and those who are maintaining healthy skin or may be having some skin care concerns that staff professionals can help with. In addition to the skin care treatments Exhale. is now offering a new Signature Sports Massage. The signature Sports Massage is a blend of targeted stretching techniques and

between treatments, HEPA air purifiers in each room, taking temperatures of everyone that enters the studio along with a thorough intake of COVID-19 possible exposures. Now the wait is over, and now is the time â&#x20AC;&#x201D; experience the many benefits of therapeutic massage whether you have chronic pain and fatigue from injuries or being overly stressed each massage is tai-

lored to the individual. Rates for 60 minute massage start at $80. All treatments include the use of hot towels, complimentary essential oils and an application of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Deep Blue Rubâ&#x20AC;? to the focus area, unscented oil is available as well. Hot stones, sugar foot scrubs and dry brush exfoliation are also available.

If it is your first time booking a massage with Empowering hands you can take advantage of the New Client Discount to save 10% on your first massage session when booking online. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Empowering Hands is where therapy meets luxury and we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see you again!â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ Empowering Hands: 4200 Scotts Valley Dr Suite A, Scotts Valley.

donors and the Rotary Foundation is in the process of acquiring PPEs, Protective Personal Equipment for 7 Rotacare Clinics in our Rotary District. The PPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will help all the clinics including the Santa Cruz County clinic located in Live Oak area provide care

safely to low income families who do not have medical care elsewhere. Although, the club was not able to hold their annual fundraising concert this year, members will look at other ways to raise funds to continue serving our community. We appreciate all the support from

our extended Rotary family â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ohanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; in our community. â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ We invite anyone interested in learning more about the Rotary Club of Scotts Valley to contact Cindy Schuette, President at kinikiasch@cruzio.com

deep tissue manual therapy. The focus of this treatment is to increase pliability in order to prevent injury and relieve pain related to existing injuries. The treatment begins with an assessment of functional movement then transitions to active and passive stretching, and concludes with focused massage on target areas of the body. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to feel rejuvenated this is the perfect treatment to try. Now is the time to use your gift cards and

book your customized Summer Spa Retreat for yourself or come in with friends! Exhaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team is COVID trained and they have updated all of their guidelines to follow all state and county guidelines to ensure the safety of our team as well as our beloved community. All sessions have been given extended time to prevent cross traffic and time for the team to ensure proper cleaning. To help ensure compliance we are asking that you book ahead of time by either giving us a call at

831-600-7116 or book online at ExhaleDaySpa. com Everyone at Exhale. Day Spa appreciates and is grateful for both SLV and Scotts Valley communities for your support You can find them on Facebook @exhale.scottsvalley and check-out summer promotions on the website at www.ExhaleDaySpa.com â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ Exhale. Day Spa is located in the Scotts Village Shopping Center, suite D (831) 600-7116

The District office reopens Monday, July 6, for those who need to conduct business that cannot be completed online or by phone.

CURRENT RENTALS

Immaculate 3BR/2.5BA Home w/patio and garage. Lockwood Ln, Scotts Valley . $3800 Charming 2BR/2BA Home w/Large yard, deck & carport. Upper Rd, Boulder Creek . . $2600 Updated 2BR/1BA Apt. in duplex with patio. Farmer Street, Felton . . . . . . . . . . . $2200

COMING SOON

â&#x20AC;˘ Large Updated 2BR/2BA Home w/new deck, yard and garage. Hihn Road, Ben Lomond â&#x20AC;˘ Large Retro 3BR/2BA Home w/3-car garage and a view. N. Navarra, Scotts Valley â&#x20AC;˘ Sunny 3BR/2BA Condo with patio. Castillion Terrace, Santa Cruz â&#x20AC;˘ Secluded Downstairs 1BR/1BA Apartment with deck. Rural Scotts Valley

If you visit the office, please maintain a 6-foot distance and wear a face mask. Do not come in if you are feeling sick or having symptoms.

2 Civic Center Drive 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday The office will be closed every other Friday this summer beginning July 10. (831) 438-2363

Advertise in the Scotts Valley Chamber Newsletter

14 / July 2020 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

CALL FOR SPECIAL RATES 831.688.7549

Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce 360 Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Village Road Scotts Valley, CA 95066

COMMUNITY NEWS

Scotts Valley/SLV Meal and Food Programs: July Tuesday through Thursday (USDA 4th Mondays). Valley Churches United. Tues-Thurs 9-11:45. 1st and 3rd Fridays 9-11 are for seniors only. USDA Distribution on 4th Monday 10-1. For SLV, Scotts Valley, and Bonny Doon residents. Ben Lomond, corner of Highway 9 across from Ben Lomond Market, 336-8258. Food distribution. Tuesdays, noon. Felton Presbyterian Church, 6090 Highway 9, across from RiteAid, 335-6900. To-go lunch. Tuesdays, 1-5:30 p.m., Felton Farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Market, Hwy 9 and Russell. Match for CalFresh/EBT users for every EBT token up to $10 -- ten dollars of EBT becomes $20 (to be used for fresh fruits and vegetables only). Wednesdays, 12-2 p.m., San Agustin Catholic Church, 257 Glenwood Drive, Scotts Valley (next to the fire station), 4383633. Food distribution. Wednesdays, 5-7 p.m., Operation Feed the People, Boulder Creek Community Church, 13090 Highway 9. 415-680-4281. Frozen to-go meals, groceries, essential living supplies. Thursdays, 10:30-12. Mountain Community Resources (a Community Bridges program), 6134 Highway 9, across from Rite Aid, Felton. 335-6600. Food distribution. Thursdays, 11-1. St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Catholic Church, down from Rite-Aid, Highway 9 and Russell, Felton. 335-4657. To-go lunch.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dependable Service, Affordable Qualityâ&#x20AC;?

SPECIALIZING IN

Thursdays, 5-6:30 p.m., St. Philipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Episcopal Church, 5271 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley. 438-4360. Food distribution. Fridays, 5-5:30 p.m.. GateWay Bible Church, 5000 Granite Creek Road, Scotts Valley. 438-0646. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fridays at Five.â&#x20AC;? Food distribution. Saturdays, 9-1, Scotts Valley Farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Market, Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Village Drive, SV Community Center. Match for CalFresh/EBT users for every EBT token up to $10 -- ten dollars of EBT becomes $20 to be used for fresh fruits and vegetables only. Sunday, July 26, 2-4 p.m.. SS Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, 9980 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, north of town, 336-2228. To-go lunch and groceries. Meals on Wheels (a Community Bridges program). $2.50 requested donation per meal. For age 60+ (limited exceptions). 464-3180. Dining centers closed; all clients eligible for meal delivery. Great Plates Delivered, up to three prepared meals per day for qualified seniors. Call 454-4406 for more info. Grey Bears Brown Bag Program, weekly bag of produce to be picked up in Boulder Creek, Ben Lomond, Felton, or Scotts Valley. Delivery available for homebound seniors. $30 annual membership fee, for age 55+. www.greybears.org (4791055). n â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ Except as noted, all programs are free of charge. Correct as of 5/20, subject to change due to Covid. Call programs for updates or contact slvsvmeals@gmail.com.

Residential Repaints & Custom Homes Homeowners Associations Property Managers

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Scotts Valley Times / Scotts Valley 2020 / 15

COMMUNITY NEWS

Memorial Tree Targeted

By Tony Tomeo

elton Covered Bridge Park is surrounded by memorial trees. Every redwood around the perimeter was sponsored as such by friends or family of the deceased. A few have small dedication plaques. Only two of the memorial trees are not redwoods. A sweetgum was planted in the far western corner of the lawn in memory of Charlie, a beloved French bulldog. A single valley oak was added to a vacant parking lot island in memory of those who passed away while homeless. The valley oak memorial tree did not always have a generic designation. It was planted in memory of Jeffrey Scofield, a respected native and lifelong resident of Felton who died in 2015. As a few of his friends, some of whom also happened to be homeless, passed away, his Scofield Tree became known simply as the Memorial Tree. This little memorial tree got off to a slow start. While very young, it was severely damaged by weed abatement. As it was

recovering and starting to grow vigorously, it was damaged during weed abatement again. Then, a month ago, someone spread salt around the base of the trunk of this memorial tree in an attempt to poison it. The only witness thought the salt was fertilizer and left it for a few days until someone else recognized what it was and removed much of it. The memorial tree seemed safe until June 24, when it was found to be leaning away from its stake. When straightened and tied back to its stake, three freshly sawed cuts were found in the trunk. Each cut extends about half way through the trunk. This memorial tree may not survive such severe damage. After the salt incident, Ed Healy, who is homeless in Felton, said, “Some people just don’t get it, that all lives matter, and that homeless lives matter.” Denise Ralls, who often pulls weeds from around this memorial tree, said, “It was targeted because of its association with homeless people.” What makes this crime worse is that it involves a tree that should be an asset

to the community. It was carefully selected and situated to replace a tree of the original landscape that was missing. It was given to the community by the homeless, who do not have much to give. It will certainly not be the last tree planted by the homeless of Felton. A more personalized memorial tree was planted on May 2 at a former campsite used by the deceased, near East Zayante Road and Graham Hill Road. It was just coincidence that a large concealing evergreen tree was desired in that exact location. There will be more trees. For now, arrangements will be made with the Santa Cruz County Parks Department for the salvage or eventual replacement of the vandalized memorial tree. Any new memorial tree will be located elsewhere. More information about this very special memorial tree in Felton Covered Bridge Park can be found at feltonleague.com, a blog about the homeless society of Felton. Anyone with information about the

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The trunk of a memorial tree for the deceased homeless of Felton was cut about halfway through in three places. crimes described above should call the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office at 831471-1121. n ••• For more information about the memorial tree (and the Felton League) visit https://feltonleague.com/2020/03/22/ march-22-2020-memorial-tree-update/

COMMUNITY NEWS

County Announces 19 Furlough Days

n Tuesday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a $878 million placeholder budget with 19 furlough days in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. County offices will be closed for most services on July 24, August 21 and 28, Sept. 4, Oct. 9 and 30, Nov. 25, Dec. 28-31, Jan. 29, Feb. 5, March 5 and 19, April 9 and 30, May 14 and June 11. County employees are taking pay reductions of 7.5 percent; the cut is 10

percent for department heads and County supervisors. County government is the county’s second largest employer after UC Santa Cruz. The approved budget represents a $36 million decrease from 2019-20, largely due to completing capital projects, but does not include revenue losses related to COVID-19. To cut another $15 million to $20 million due to anticipated revenue short-

falls, the County will reconvene budget hearings Aug. 10-13 concluding on Aug. 18. “COVID-19 has been catastrophic not only to those directly impacted by the pandemic, but also to County finances,” County Administrative Officer Carlos J. Palacios said. “The impact has been twice the Great Recession. Fortunately, we planned for economic downturns by building up our financial reserves and have the support of our employees, who are making sacrifices to minimize cuts to local services.” n

COMMUNITY BRIEFS Affordable Townhome Available irst-time homebuyers who meet moderate income guidelines are eligible to enter a city lottery to buy a 1,328-squarefeet townhome in “The Cove,” a new 25-home development built by Ryder Homes at 201 Cove Lane, off Scotts Valley Drive for $592,346. Moderate income as of May 2020 is $92,400 for a single person, $105,600 for a household of two, and $118,800 for a household of three. The two-story unit has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage. The maximum resale price will be set by the city to keep this home affordable. For applications, contact Faith Sackett at 831-776-4412. ••• Glenwood Trails Open he Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and the City of Scotts Valley hoped to have a ceremony celebrating the years of work that went into the public access project at the Glenwood Preserve. The coronavirus altered the plans for this past April when the brand new trail system was scheduled to open. Now that it appears the virus will be around for some time, it has been decided to do the next best thing — a “soft opening.”

Land Trust staff will be on hand this weekend, July 4-5, to welcome interested trail users and answer questions. The trailhead is located behind the Girls Softball Field in Siltanen Park. You can access it by parking in the Siltanen lot or the Glenwood Open Space parking area on Glenwood Drive. There are still flowers in bloom and the calves are cute. Please remember NO dogs and bikes on the East Glenwood Trails. Equestrian usage will be allowed and should have full access coming this autumn. See you out on the trails. ••• Jobs in Santa Cruz County Industry May 2020 Change/2019 Leisure & hospitality 9,000 Down 6,200 Private education & health 14,900 Down 3,300 Trade & transportation 14,800 Down 2,000 Other services 3,300 Down 1,800 Government 21,100 Down 1,800 Manufacturing 6,100 Down 1,100 Biz & professional services 10,200 Down 800 Financial 3,400 Down 200 Information 500 Down 100 Logging & construction 4,500 Up 100 Farm 4,700 Down 4,700 Nonfarm 87,800 Down 17,200 Total 92,500 Down 21,900 ~~~ Unemployment 14.4% Change/2019 Labor force 130,300 Down 8.3% Employed* 111,600 Down 18.2% Unemployed 18,800 Up 224% *Includes out-of-county commuters Source: California Employment Development Department ••• SLV Water District Preps for Shutoffs he San Lorenzo Valley Water District has installed new generators to ensure power to pump stations, treatment plants and wastewater facilities in case of a PG&E public safety power shutoff like the ones

that took place in 2019 to prevent wildfire during strong and dry winds. The district has installed six new stationary generators, bringing its total to 17 that supply power to two treatment plants, 11 pump stations, one wastewater facility, one intake facility, the operations building and administration building. Also, the district has secured four new mobile generators, bringing its total mobile generators to seven capable of supplying power to seven well sites and 15 pump stations. During outages, customers are asked to conserve water so it’s available to firefighters. ••• Scotts Valley Postpones Business License Deadline o support the ongoing recovery of local Scotts Valley businesses, the City of Scotts Valley extended the business license deadline to October 1, a 90-day delay. In addition, any penalties for those businesses will be waived during that period. The City of Scotts Valley recognizes the financial losses that businesses have suffered during the Shelter-in-Place Order as well as the lack of certainty about future business operations. This delay provides more time and flexibility as local businesses reopen and stabilize operations. A business license and associated fee is required for a business to operate legally in Scotts Valley and is usually due on July 1. For more information about obtaining a business license from the City of Scotts Valley, visit the City’s webpage: www. scottsvalley.org and search for “business license” or call the City’s Finance Department at (841) 440-5611. n

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Scotts Valley Times / Scotts Valley 2020 / 17

Your July Horoscope Times Publishing Group, Inc. Leo (July 23-Aug. 23)

Independence Day is a time for thinking of right now, not what’s coming next. This is a time when endings are inevitable, and there’s no telling where you’ll be a month from now. It’s best to accept the things you can’t change and hold steady despite your desire to move ahead. You’re feeling the need to make sure your loved ones feel safe and protected mid-month. Your strong urge to nurture and care for others makes you an excellent parent and/or friend. You’re happy to let your true personality shine through at the end of the month. Your warmth and friendliness are two of your better qualities, and you make almost everyone you come into contact with feel loved and appreciated.

Virgo (Aug. 24-Sep. 22)

You are feeling reserved as the month begins, but you still feel the intensity and pressure that come with looking toward the future. There might not be a lot you can do to change things in the long term, but thinking about it helps. Mid-month brings sudden awareness to a part of your past that’s been keeping you from moving on. Forgiving others is a part of this, but forgiving yourself might actually be more important. Everything looks good from where you’re sitting at the end of July, but everything isn’t always as it seems. You know that old saying “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is”? Yup, that’s this energy.

Libra (Sep. 23-Oct. 23)

The month begins with the desire to run before you’re ready to walk. Take some time to rethink the past month and plan for where you’d like to go. The intensity you feel mid-July is unavoidable, especially if you’ve been dealing with a past hurt. Inner reflection takes you to some very uncomfortable places, but it’s needed to find the conclusions you’re seeking. Looking to other people will be difficult. Your friendliness and outgoing attitude late in the month could leave you susceptible to embarrassment and ridicule. Even though you know there are consequences that come from being an open book, you can’t imagine being any other way now.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

You might not feel very celebratory early in July. When your mind is on the future, it’s hard to live in the moment. But there isn’t a lot you can do right now to change things. Communication is easier mid-month, making it easier for you to figure out went wrong the last few weeks and maybe how you can fix it. Apologies aren’t the easiest thing, but they help. You might be in the spotlight late in the month, but now isn’t the time to retreat. This a good time to show the world your hidden talents, even if it makes you uncomfortable. You deserve all the applause you get.

Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

You are anxious to get things started early in the month. The problem is that it’s a much better time to finish what you’ve already started. Try to be patient a little while longer. Mid-month brings the green light you’ve been looking for on new projects and relationships. That patience is about to pay off! Family matters should be your top priority. Being overly confident and/or optimistic as July comes to a close isn’t a good idea, because someone or something is just waiting in the wings to tear you down. Balance is the key to riding out this energy. When you use extreme thinking, the potential is high for being way off base.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)

You’re the responsible one as the nations birthday approaches. While everyone else is getting a little crazy, you’re worried about the little details and all the things that can go wrong. There’s a valuable lesson here, somewhere. Mid-July gives you a chance to forgive yourself or someone else for the hurt you’ve been feeling for the past months (or maybe even years). Everyone makes mistakes, but dwelling on the past only keeps you from having a happy future. Passion comes back into your life late in the month. If you haven’t been enjoying things because of an endless “what if” scenario playing in your head, it’s time to let the negativity go.

Aquarius (Jan 21-Feb. 18)

Independence Day is a great time to celebrate some of your recent accomplishments! It also brings a reminder not to get too comfortable, because there’s plenty more for you to over the month. Any negative energy you’ve been feeling seems to just fade away mid-month. The next few weeks have a fun, friendly vibe that allows you to be yourself. You’re questioning some of your recent decisions late in the month. This isn’t a good time to ignore details. Take everything into account when making important life choices now, especially if they’re final.

Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20)

You should find making important decisions a bit easier early in the month. The practical energy in the air grounds you and helps you make the decision you’ve been hesitant to make in the past few weeks. That feeling flows through the middle of the month, helping you stand up for yourself regarding an unresolved situation from your past. If you’ve always believed you were at fault, some serious soul searching will help you understand that you’re not the only one to blame. Your dreams and daydreams can be productive late in July if you focus on getting the answer to a question. Signs and symbols from your subconscious are everywhere.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Bullseye Archery Bounces Back

By Jondi Gumz

arry Spittler, co-owner of Bullseye Archery & Range in Scotts Valley, closed for two months, complying with the county health officer’s order to slow the spread of the contagious coronavirus COVID-19. He reopened in May, and Aptos resident Erick Sturm, who was in need of equipment, is glad he did. “These guys have everything,” said Sturm, who is first vice president of Santa Cruz Archers, a countywide nonprofit organization with more than 100 members. Without Bullseye Archery, Sturm and his fellow archers would have to trek over the hill, which would eat up a half a day, or take a chance with an online purchase. “This keeps it local,” Sturm said. Sturm came by Saturday with his son Zane, 13, who has improved his accuracy with practice. Members of the Archers practice at a range with 28 targets at DeLaveaga Golf Course in Santa Cruz -- “truly a hidden gem,” Sturm said. Archers follow the same COVID-19 safety protocols as golfers. For example, four in a group “quarantine” together for their shooting. “It’s a great activity,” Sturm said. Bullseye Archery & Range is the only archery store in Santa Cruz County.

Spittler, 79, said that’s why he opened up five years ago. He enjoyed archery himself and he noticed the retail shops were far away -Gilroy, Salinas, Livermore, San Francisco, Berkeley. He grew up in Kansas, took archery lessons in Golden Gate Park after he and his mother moved to San Francisco, and competed in archery tournaments as a high school student. He had a cabinet shop and worked at a hotel to make a living, but when he hurt his back, he wanted a change. He could see most retail would not have a future, but he thought archery would be different because of the services customers need, like tuning their bow. His friend, Jeanne Burke, an archer who’s competed in national competitions, is co-owner. Gabrielle Garrett, a friend who has been competing in local and state competitions since 2011, is store manager, buyer and a USA-Archery certified instructor. She said sales were very good before the closure, with customers coming from Saratoga and San Jose as well as Santa Cruz County, and she kept losses to $20,000 in April and May by setting appointments with customers. “Bullseye” page 20

Aries (March 21-April 20)

Sour energy early in the month might dampen your celebrations a bit. As much as you’d love to be living in the moment, your mind is on the future and all you have yet to achieve. A sense of deep awareness and self-contemplation fills you mid-July. You aren’t one to sit alone and reflect on your feelings, but this energy can lead to real healing if you let it. Your world starts to brighten late in the month, bringing passion, creativity, and drama. The coming weeks have a much more playful tone than earlier in the month, so enjoy the spontaneity that comes from this enthusiastic pairing.

Taurus (April 21-May 21)

You feel a mellowness early in July, brings an uncertainty that makes it difficult to predict what might happen next. Stick with the basics in order to avoid making life-changing mistakes. A crisis of self-esteem and selfdoubt follow mid-month, which could be caused by something you did, meaning there’s still time to fix it. If you’re being blamed or shamed by someone else, what’s their true motivation? If they’re projecting their feelings onto you, it’s time to walk away. The latter half of the month is filled with big ideas and dramatic scenes. You’re in the mood to be seen, and you might do some pretty out-of-character things to make sure you stay relevant.

Gemini (May 22-June 21)

The month begins with an unwelcome shadow on your mood. You want to be out having a good time, but the current world situation is holding you back. The lines of communication between you and someone you’ve recently lost touch with open back up mid-month. Finding the necessary words to patch things up between the two of you is within your grasp. You’re overly optimistic about something that you heard or read at the end of July, and it doesn’t help that the people around you might encourage you to overreact or embellish facts and details. Try not to believe the information you get from a third party until you verify it with the source.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

Something in the air is killing your festive vibe as the month begins. It’s not that you can’t still have a good time, but the energy now is more about getting serious about the future. You breathe a sigh of relief mid-July as you feel things starting to get back to normal. This is a good time to wipe the slate clean of any negative interactions and start fresh with regard to communication. You have a desire to feel safe and protected late in the month. It’s time to evaluate what’s important to you and figure out how to let down your guard long enough so you can get it.

•••

www.tpgonlinedaily.com 18 / July 2020 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Larry Spitttler takes aim at the range at Bullseye Archery in Scotts Valley.

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Courage, Truth & Love in a Cancel Culture

By Pastor Matt Valencia

his has been an incredibly trying James, the Lord’s half-brother wrote, “Let year and we are only half way everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak through. Let that sink it. Schools, and slow to anger, because human anger businesses and churches have been shut does not produce the righteousness that down for months and over 40 million filed God desires.” (James 1:19-20) What is lacking in our culture, in our for unemployment. The complexities of COVID-19, racism, churches and in our families is real converbalancing personal freedoms versus sation and dialogue where we are quick to responsibility, living with others who have listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. This different values while not compromising is why we need more than social media, convictions has been challenging in an “us videos, and articles to talk about things like racism, politics and Covid-19. We need to vs. them” culture. Can’t we hate wearing masks, but still have in-person, face-to-face conversations wear one because we are thinking about whenever possible. The news, Twitter and Facebook feeds others? Isn’t it possible not to be black, but still see the hurt and anger black people and videos we watch are curated to our have suffered because of racism for far too own “likes” and “dislikes” by artificial long? Can’t we mourn the deaths of George intelligence. They are no longer “unbiased” Floyd and Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller? Can we news sources, but echo chambers that tell take a knee with others who are hurting the stories we want to hear. It can fuel frustration as it portrays the “others” as and still stand for America? Entering into messy and complex our enemies. Granted, there may be some problems isn’t easy. It will take courage real enemies out there, but the most of the “others” can be because we may have humanized if you to face some ugliness reach across the aisle. from others and we “You never really might see some in understand a person ourselves. until you consider I may write some things from his point things you disagree of view...until you with, but we each climb into his skin have agency — the and walk around in ability to choose and it.” -Atticus Finch in decide and think. To Kill a Mockingbird The phrase, cancel Pastor Matt Valencia The other thing culture, comes from social media platforms where users we can do is more difficult than listening. threaten to “cancel” someone by deleting We have to love our way out of this. Tim Keller says that when Jesus came and or defriending them. In the “cancel culture” of the real and taught the Sermon on the Mount, two of physical world, people are marginalized, the issues he addressed would be conshouted down or ignored all together when sidered “liberal” today (to have concern there are disagreements. In the crazy year for widows, orphans and migrants), two of 2020, people hate to sit in the tension of the issues would be considered “conof disagreement and dialogue. We have servative” (sexual ethics and marriage), been taught the etiquette of “don’t talk and one of the things He taught would be about politics and religion” instead of the called crazy because no one does that (love your enemies). essential skill of respectful civil discourse. Martin Luther King said, “Hate Gone are the days when people said, “I may not agree with what you’re saying, cannot drive out hate. Only love can do but I will fight for your right to say it.” We that. If we don’t make an effort to win the are in ideological gridlock that is worse opposition over with love, we will always than the traffic on a hot Friday afternoon have an enemy. I believe God’s desire for on the fishhook. The bad thing is that when us is for more than just quiet indifference people sit too long without progress, frus- or tolerance. As my wife DeAnna says, “Sometimes you are just one piece of infortration and anger start to fester. So how do we make forward progress? mation away from compassion.” ••• We can only scratch the surface, but let You can follow Matt on Twitter @matme suggest TWO things that will help as a tvalencia1 or on the ReGeneration Church starting point. The first way forward is to listen. Facebook Page.

The 4th of July

ACROSS

1. Begone! 5. Blue 8. Instinctive motive 12. Barbershop supply 13. Cover with asphalt 14. Twist and distort 15. Dismounted 16. Tiny particle 17. Like smell of burning rubber 18. *King of Great Britain when America won independence 20. Same as pleaded 21. “Well-____ machine” 22. *Abigail Adams ____ Smith 23. *Preferred cooking device on the 4th

25. They play dead 29. Tiller’s tiller 30. Santa’s reindeer 33. Dwarf buffalo 34. Smart ones? 36. “____ the hills and far away” 37. Penicillin holder, e.g. 38. Part of both levorotary and levorotatory 39. *Like 4th of July 41. Choler 42. Egg dishes 44. Actress Close 46. *Jefferson was three and Washington was ___ 47. Medal of Honor word 49. Castle material 51. *Roman Candles and Fountains, e.g. 55. Manuscript sheet 56. Dirty money

57. Dire fate 58. Type of wrench 59. Charitable contribution 60. Genesis twin 61. Dad’s lads 62. General Services Administration 63. Job for a body shop

DOWN

1. Without a date 2. *American Revolutionary War spy, Nathan 3. Miscellany 4. Type of local tax 5. French composer of “GymnopΘdies” fame 6. Steer clear 7. Prefix for half 8. *U. S. personified 9. Steak choice 10. Power system

11. Former times 13. Saffron-flavored rice dish 14. Stares 19. Decorates with gold leaf 22. Negative conjunction 23. Jewish folklore creature 24. “Superman” star 25. Machu Picchu country 26. Remove from Pinterest board 27. Grieve 28. *Many retailers hold one for the 4th of July 29. Sign of a saint 31. *____ of Liberty 32. Rooster’s girlfriend 35. *13 of these at the start 37. Give a green light

39. *What contestants did at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 40. Ends of shoe laces 43. “____ ____ a high note” 45. What river did to bank 47. Viola da Gamba, pl. 48. Wafting pleasantness 49. Aria, e.g. 50. Comrade in arms 51. *It should never touch ground 52. Official flower of the Kentucky Derby 53. Riddle without solution 54. Obscenity 55. Like The Beatles © Statepoint Media

Answers on 23 »

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Scotts Valley Times / Scotts Valley 2020 / 19

COMMUNITY NEWS

Survey: Most SLV Water District Customers Satisfied

ight out of 10 customers the San Lorenzo Valley Water District are satisfied with the service they get, according to a recent district survey. In an online survey of more than 1,000 customers in April, almost 80% said they were either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” — 47% said they were satisfied and 32% said they were very satisfied. The survey via surveylegend.com in early April asked the taker to rank the district’s services; “how well the district is doing in various areas; how one would like to receive information about the district; what source one derives their information; how much you trust the district when it comes to finding a responsible solution to water supply issues in the area, and more”. Respondents could also take the survey by phone or email. A large number — 87% — of respondents said they would like regular communications via E-blasts and/or Enewsletters by

email and social media. A much smaller number wanted both online and intermittent (quarterly) mailed newsletters. Customers reported they received district news/updates through local news media and through speaking engagements and participation in community events. Other findings: • 98% of survey respondents are residential customers. • 96% live in a single-family house and 93% own their homes. • 52% of all customers feel the amount they pay for water is “about right.” • An overwhelming number of respondents (788) were 50 and older. • 60% of customers would prefer to receive communications via email. • 27% of customers wanted communications via both email and regular mail. The San Lorenzo Valley Water District, established in 1941, encompasses 60 square miles and operates 190 miles of pipeline for 7,900 residential, commercial, and institutional connections from Boulder Creek to Scotts Valley. n

20 / July 2020 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

coming out with the ATM, pushing it into the back seat of a vehicle, and carrying out “I could not thank her enough,” a box of cigarettes in less than a minute. Wilson said there’s been a decline Spittler said. “She’s been wonderful.” Karen Williams, a competitive archer, in residential burglaries with people is an instructor and techstaying at home due to the nician at the shop. shelter in place order and Archery is about 80 a corresponding uptick in percent male but Spittler commercial burglaries. said, “It doesn’t have to be Wilson said the police that way.” response time is under That’s because “we have three minutes, but that’s not bows (women) can shoot,” fast enough to catch these he said. “smash and grab” burglars. Burglary He recommends deadn March 19, shortly after bolts and alarms to deter Bullseye Archery closed burglars and asks anyone to comply with the health with information about these officer’s order, Spittler lost burglaries to call police at $4,500 worth of equipment 831-440-5670. Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz in a break-in. He said catching a Erick Sturm and his son Zane of “That was horrible,” burglar means getting a Aptos are regulars at Bullseye said Scotts Valley Police Sgt. fingerprint or DNA, a video Archery in Scotts Valley John Wilson. “Someone’s in which the perpetrator trying to take advantage of them.” is recognizable, or a prompt call from He said video footage showed two a citizen with a good description of the people entered the shop and a third was vehicle and the suspects and a license the getaway driver. plate number. Another store burglarized during the Despite the challenges of COVID-19, pandemic was Leo’s USave Liquor. Video Spittler is not ready to retire from Bullseye footage shows several people breaking Archery. He said he plans to keep it five the front door at 2:39 a.m. March 29 and more years. n “Bullseye” from page 18

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Open Communication and Community Policing

By Randy Johnson

he death of George Floyd was an event that traumatized our whole nation. We were shocked by the arrest of a man by an officer who exercised his authority in a callous, brutal and almost cruel fashion. The act was universally condemned and not just by citizens, but by police officers who felt betrayed by this officer ’s egregious disregard towards another human being. Scotts Valley reacted — 300 people gathered at Siltanen Park and marched to City Hall where for over two hours they expressed their thoughts on the whole spectrum of racial injustice in America. The event was sponsored by Scotts Randy Johnson Valley High students who wanted a forum for us to convey our anger and personal stories of bias, racism and subtle discrimination. After a few words from Police Chief Steve Walpole, I spoke and told everyone in attendance that we are here to listen and engage in a dialogue and conversation. And what we heard from our own citizens was both moving and poignant. Towards the very end a woman questioned why Scotts Valley spent such a large percentage of its budget on police and law enforcement. The sub-text of the comments became clear a few days later, when my emails were flooded with demands to “Defund the Police.” That is a topic worthy of discussion. “SVPD is overfunded and ineffectual, and often wastes money on programs that foster racism and reduce community involvement.” This was one of many of the arguments made by those who wrote me to request that defunding the police was a logical response to the events that have occurred in the past few weeks. I respectfully disagree. Community policing is different in every city and our current and past Scotts Valley chiefs have instituted a culture that promotes citizen participation and transparency. Recently you may have heard of a

Community policing is different in every city and our current and past Scotts Valley chiefs have instituted a culture that promotes citizen participation and transparency. transformative document known as “8 Can’t Wait.” It speaks to the reforms that focus on reducing the amount and type of force used by police. Policies like banning chokeholds and strangleholds and requirements of de-escalation are important in reducing violence while enforcing the law. Scotts Valley’s police policy already adheres to these 8 reforms, but Chief Walpole is committed to revisit these policies and review with each officer their importance. We are mindful that whether it is a drunk driver on our roads or a battered spouse being threatened or prowler in your yard late at night, we depend on our police to respond. The many thousands of calls for service from our citizens are a key indicator of how our community relies upon our police department. And even though our officers engaged in almost 15,000 officer initiated activities, the numbers of arrests for 2019 were down 31%. That reflects a dedicated department, intent on service and community policing. We are thankful for their presence. The Scotts Valley Police Department approaches public safety with a community-based mindset. Our officers reinforce community connections all year round by getting to know residents, businesses and community institutions on a personal level. Our Chief is a mainstay at many community and school events and is active in civic organizations that help Scotts Valley thrive. And it is from that basis of engagement in our community that our department delivers on public safety. “Communicate” page 22

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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Scotts Valley Times / Scotts Valley 2020 / 21

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Despite Tragic Losses, We Must Carry On

s we head into summer, all of us need a little sunshine, literally and figuratively. This spring tested our resolve in ways we couldn’t have foreseen, but it also presented new opportunities to work together for the greater good of our community. During the past few weeks, we experienced the tragic loss of young and talented public servants. Branciforte Fire District Capt. Peder McElroy, 48, died May 30 and was honored during a memorial service two weeks later for his 22 years of service and many years as a devoted family man. Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38, was k i l l e d in the line of duty June 6, leaving behind a young family and colleagues who admired him greatly. We honored him June 17 during a service at Cabrillo College that was attended by public safety personnel from across California. On that very day, San Mateo-Santa Cruz CalFire Capt. David Lutz, 33, died in an off-duty hiking accident near Big Sur. He is remembered as a brave firefighter and wonderful father, who like Sgt. Gutzwiller, had a baby on the way. And on June 15, Allison Endert, 43, an analyst for Supervisor Ryan Coonerty, was fatally struck by a car in Santa Cruz, where she had served many years as a Gault Elementary parent leader. A mother of two, Allison worked

By Bruce McPherson, Fifth District Supervisor

hard for District 3, helping to create the County’s Nurse-Family Partnership and complete infrastructure improvements at Twin Lakes Beach, where we hope to place a future memorial in her honor. Memorial funds have been established as follows: • Peder McElroy: Santa Cruz County Bank, 75 River St., Santa Cruz, CA, 95060 • Damon Gutzwiller: tinyurl.com/ ybzm23jl • David Lutz: tinyurl.com/y9d3wysa • Allison Endert: gault.sccs.net/ All of this has taken place amid the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which we are now in our fourth month of combatting. While at first Santa Cruz County excelled at keeping infection rates low due to early adoption of shelter-in-place and social distancing measures, we are now seeing a sharp but expected increase in cases as we follow state guidelines for opening our economy to include restaurants, retail, beaches and other activities. There is a delicate balance to be struck between reducing harm for public health and reducing unemployment and other hardships caused by the closures. A true test of our resilience will be whether we can adequately manage the surge in severe cases and whether our community continues to follow requirements for distancing and face coverings. Learn more at santacruzhealth.org/ coronavirus.

“Communicate” from page 21 From proactive patrols in neighborhoods and business areas, to the extra traffic enforcement in the first week of school, the Scotts Valley Police Department goes beyond the basic assurance of safety. Its underpinning is com-

22 / July 2020 / Scotts Valley Times www.tpgonlinedaily.com

Peder McElroy

Damon Gutzwiller

The July 4 holiday is a time we look forward to celebrating with family and friends, perhaps by attending parades. While we cannot safely gather in big numbers this year, we can certainly join the Boulder Creek and Scotts Valley virtual parades at https://www.facebook.com/ events/2581589065387002/ and https:// www.facebook.com/Scotts-Valley-4thof-July-Celebration-1514400992197418/. Before the Board of Supervisors takes its annual break in July, we will adopt the 2020-2021 budget June 30. However, the $878 million budget is just a placeholder until a fuller impact of COVID-19 is clear in August, at which time we also hope to know more about state and federal support. On Tuesday, the Board will consider furloughs of county employees to cut costs amid historic losses in revenues that fund critical public services. There are bright spots: The County stands to receive $28 million from Congress’s CARES Act for COVID-19 expenses. And because our lodging, restaurant and retail sectors opened sooner than anticipated, we have adjusted our initial estimates of tax losses.

munity and its policing is led by the community. I believe that our relationship with our police department is good and they are a trusted asset in keeping us safe. Steve Walpole and I are always open to hear about your experiences and your concerns. We want to foster open communication that leads to the best implementation of what community policing can be. n ••• Scotts Valley Police Statistics 2018 2019 Homicide 0 0 Rape 6 2 Robbery 2 1 Assault 62 66 Burglary 42 31 Larceny 137 105

David Lutz

Allison Endert

Lastly, we have other successes to share: The return of California Redemption Value (CRV) services at the Ben Lomond Transfer Station and the growth of Monterey Bay Community Power. From early February to mid-May, the CRV program run by Grey Bears collected 107,000 pounds of material and pumped $78,000 into the economy through redemption vouchers. Meanwhile, Monterey Bay Community Power, soon to be known as Central Coast Community Energy (CCCE), is expanding with a new name to accompany a larger geographical footprint. By 2021, CCCE will include 32 counties and cities, the broadest service area of any community choice energy agency in California, which since 2018 has offered 100% carbon free electricity at rates far below PG&E, saved customers $17.1 million, and allocated $5.5 million to local energy programs. Stay tuned in August for more details about CCCE’s future programs. n ••• Bruce McPherson is the Fifth District Supervisor for Santa Cruz County and former California Secretary of State.

Auto theft Arson Other crimes Calls for service Officer initiated activity Citations Arrests Injury accidents Non-injury accidents Hit & run collisions Domestic violence Vandalism/graffiti Drug violations

•••

Total

2018 2019 12 8 3 2 264 215 675 542 6,433 6,477 13,130 14,530 1,594 966 703 486 22 12 133 149 31 32 37 25 56 77 162 95

SCCAS Featured Pet

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Bronze Is The New Green

B T

Turbo Is Looking For Lots Of TLC

crossword on 19 »

urbo spent 2 months on someone’s property before she realized that it simply wasn’t in his best interest to be in limbo there. She considered keeping Turbo, especially when, despite his nervousness, he started asking to come indoors, but he and her existing cat didn’t have good chemistry so she brought him to the shelter in hopes another tender-hearted cat lover would come along for him. Since being with us, Turbo has continued to be quite fearful. It seems clear that he wasn’t offered the stability and socialization that helps most animals learn to trust and to associate humans with safety and all the other good things we should offer. In spite of his fear, he shows glimpses of the sweet-natured cat that is under the worried outer persona. His eyes will often go soft when you whisper his name. He allows handling without any aggression or even protest and, with patience on the part of his handler, he begins to relax and actually seems to find some enjoyment in being petted. Volunteers have reported that when he feels safe, he shows all the signs of what a fabulous cat he has the potential to be for someone. Prospective adopters will need to be prepared for a slow, steady program of confidence building. He will likely do best as an only pet in a quiet, mellow, stable, adult-only home where he doesn’t have to battle scary environmental factors while he finds his footing. We know that a cat-savvy saint is out there for Turbo. What a rewarding partnership it will be as he starts to shine. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter is currently doing adoptions by appointment only. An application must be submitted and landlord permission or proof of home ownership received prior to arranging a meet. Call 831-454-7200 x0 during business hours or visit www.scanimalshelter.org for more information! n ••• Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter has two full-service, open-admission shelters: Santa Cruz Location (Public Entrance): 1001 Rodriguez St., Santa Cruz, 95062 Hours: Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Watsonville Location: 580 Airport Blvd, Watsonville, CA 95076  Hours: CURRENTLY CLOSED SCCAS Main line: 831-454-7200. Animal Control: 831-454-7227. After-Hours Emergency: 831-471-1182

By Tony Tomeo

ronze foliage will never actually replace green foliage. Even if there were enough variety of plants with bronze foliage to do so, too much bronze would look dreary. Bronze is just another option for foliar color in landscapes with significant vegetation. It is distinct from simpler green, and contrasts nicely with gold, blue, gray and variegated foliage. Some bronze foliage is variegated too. There is all sorts of bronze foliage. Some is brownish bronze. Some is reddish. The most popular bronze foliage is rather purplish. It can be evergreen or deciduous. Annuals, perennials, shrubs, vines, trees and houseplants can provide bronze foliage. Most plants that provide bronze foliage are variants of plants that also provide bloom or fruit. Some are common. Others are rather rare. Bronze foliage is not an advantage to plants that produce it. The most efficient foliage is green. Gray or bluish foliage has the advantage of reflecting some of the harsh sunlight that could scald it in severe climates. Otherwise, foliage that is a color other than green reflects more of the useful sunlight than it should. Incidentally, dark foliage also absorbs more of the sunlight that can scald it. This is why many bronze plants are noticeably less vigorous than their greener counterparts. Although it would not be an advantage in the wild, diminished vigor makes some bronze plants more adaptable to compact home gardens. For example, the brownish bronze ‘Summer Chocolate’ silk tree will not get half as high and wide

as the common silk tree. It can fit nicely into a cozy atrium. Cultivars of purple leaf plum, Japanese maple and Eastern redbud are more familiar complaisant bronze trees. ‘Ruby Lace’ honeylocust is still quite rare. Bronze shrubbery includes smokebush, Chinese fringe flower, elderberry, barberry and ninebark. New Zealand flax, canna, houseleek, ajuga, mondo grass and coral bells are popular bronze perennials. Cordyline is a larger perennial. Bronze foliage adds a bit more color than typical green foliage. In the right situations, it is appealing bold. ••• Smokebush liche is barely avoidable regarding smokebush, Cotinus coggygria. It provides rich foliar color from spring until autumn, with uniquely billowy bloom through summer. Then, it provides exquisite fall color until winter. Then, it provides sculptural form of bare stems until spring. Smokebush ‘has it all’. . . almost. All the spectacle distracts from a lack of floral fragrance. Will anyone ever notice? Foliage is rich purplish bronze, bright greenish yellow or olive green through spring and summer. Formerly common old fashioned cultivars Smokebush seems with olive green to have it all. foliage are now rare. Nowadays, most are rich purplish bronze. Fall color is fiery yellow, orange and red. The round leaves are about one to three inches long. Purplish to pale pinkish plumes of smoke-like bloom are a striking contrast. The largest of smokebush grow at a moderate rate to more than fifteen feet high and wide. Most cultivars are more compact. They get wobbly in the ground if they grow too vigorously. Aggressive pruning during winter improves stability and enhances foliar color for the next season. However, minimal pruning of stable plants promotes bloom. Smoke tree wants full sun, but is not demanding. n Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com .

www.tpgonlinedaily.com Scotts Valley Times / Scotts Valley 2020 / 23

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Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST *The leading consumer reporting agency conducted a 16 month outdoor test of gutter guards in 2010 and recognized LeafFilter as the “#1 rated professionally installed gutter guard system in America.” *For those who qualify. **Oﬀer valid at time of estimate only **One coupon per household. No obligation estimate valid for 1 year. CSLB# 1035795 DOPL #10783658-5501 License# 7656 License# 50145 License# 41354 License# 99338 License# 128344 License# 218294 License# 603 233 977 License# 2102212986 License# 2106212946 License# 2705132153A License# LEAFFNW822JZ License# WV056912 License# WC-29998-H17 Nassau HIC License# H01067000 Registration# 176447 Registration# HIC.0649905 Registration# C127229 Registration# C127230 Registration# 366920918 Registration# PC6475 Registration# IR731804 Registration# 13VH09953900 Registration# PA069383 Suffolk HIC License# 52229-H